Celebrating 20 years since his album “Let Love Rule,” Kravitz’ tour stops through Atlanta’s Tabernacle for a funky evening that revisited some of his greatest material. Photographs from the November 6 show at Atlanta’s Tabernacle are below. Photography by Colin M. Smith, 2009.

Lighting was a challenge as the first two songs were heavily back-lit making photography a challenge. The first song was riddled with a strange spot/strobe, and the second a heavy red backwash. The third song opened up into some warm, orange-yellow light that was much more even, yielding an opportunity for some simple and clean compositions.

Attitude was a lesson learned for this shoot: owning every frame is essential and taking responsibility for your position in the pit equally important. Unfortunately, I tried to wait for the light instead of really digging down, concentrating, and getting creative with the available light. I spent most of the first three songs watching and making excuses.

This shoot really revealed that it’s time to focus on getting a second body for shooting rock concerts. Kravitz’ dynamic performance and stage coverage demanded switching between wide angle and zoom lenses–switching back and forth on the lone Canon 30D wasn’t cutting it. I sensed this after the U2 show at the Georgia dome, and after a review of my images showed a lack of variety due to lens selection I was convinced.

Photos by Colin Smith, 2009.

Thrice Pre-Show Party From BLURT

11/15 in Pittsburgh, PA
11/16 in Grand Rapids, MI
11/17 in Poplar Grove, IL
11/19 in Colorado Springs, CO
11/20 in Salt Lake City, UT
11/22 in San Francisco, CA
11/23 in Los Angeles,CA
12/04 in San Diego, CA

http://www.blurt-online.com/contest/

Anyone in the Manhattan/Brooklyn area might be interested to know that we just posted a ticket giveaway for a Drummer + Royal Bangs + Bottle Up & Go show at Southpaw in Brooklyn. Get in touch if you’re interested. The giveaway is a marketing effort on behalf of BLURT Magazine and Bottle Up and Go.

http://www.blurt-online.com/contest/

U2 brought the famed 360 Tour to Atlanta, GA on October 6, 2009 behind their latest album, No Line On The Horizon. Nesting the newly designed “claw” stage in the Georgia Dome, U2 rolled through town with 120 trucks of equipment and one helluva show. Designed to give the entire audience a more intimate experience by creating the feeling of proximity, the show was truly a spectacle.

Images from the U2 concert in Atlanta are below, as well as online at BLURT Magazine’s website.

(Scroll Down for More Images)

Snow Patrol illuminated the Tabernacle with a bold display of light and sound for their Take Back The Cities tour across the United States. The band was apparently not-so-fresh from a show in Nashville, TN (aka Nashvegas) as front man Gary Lightbody admitted that the band’s collective hangover was getting a cure from the audience. Photos are taken at the Atlanta convert in October 2009. Photography by Colin Smith, 2009.

The Avett Brothers performed an energetic set at Augusta’s Riverwalk Amphitheater as part of Augusta’s Westbou Festival.  Braving the torrential downpour, the Avett Brothers entertained fans willing to stick around until the rain subsided. Photography by Colin Smith, 2009. All Photos Copyright Colin Smith.

Says Augusta music promoter Coco Rubio in the Augusta Metro:

When the Avett Brothers were discussed as a possible act for this year’s Westobou Festival, I knew we had to bring them back to Augusta. When they were officially confirmed, I knew that this had the potential to be a very special show.

And it all came to fruition this past Friday night. Two thousand strong braved the potential rain and came out in full force and filled the Jessye Norman Riverwalk Amphitheatre to its capacity.

The Drive-By Truckers brought both rain and goodwill to Athens’ 40 Watt on Thursday, January 10, to debut their first full live performance of their new album Brighter Than Creation’s Dark.

The 40 watt was packed wall-to-wall with Athens fans to hear the new album and participate in an auction of guitars and DBT memorabilia to support Athens’ non-profit for musicians, Nuci’s Space:

“Nuçi’s Space is a non-profit health and music resource center in Athens, GA. The aim of the organization is to prevent suicide by providing obstacle free treatment for musicians suffering from depression.”

Read review of the show on SPIN’s It Happened Last Night.

The Echo Project near Atlanta, GA was a festival aimed at raising money and awareness for the clean-up of Georgia’s Chattahoochee River. Photography by Colin Smith. Copyright Colin Smith and CMS Digital.

Running for three consecutive days and featuring multitudes of rock’n'roll favorites like The Killers and The Bravery, the festival was peppered across the Georgian pastures with booths and stages featuring some of the enviromental movement’s latest technological developments. Featuring some of the best music and concerts of the Fall season for the Southeast, the one-off festival was a huge success for fans.

The Solar Stage, for example, ran entirely on energy transmitted to Earth from the Sun’s rays. As solar panels panned across the sky pointed all-day toward the sun, fans rocked in the Georgia river plain. Other notable displays included charging stations available for checking in your burned-out phone so that you can track down the friends you lost amidst the chaos.

Read more about the Echo Project on SPIN’s It Happened Last Night for Day One and Day Two!

With The Police headlining and more concerts and bands than you could possibly see in a weekend, the Bonnaroo festival was as much a test of endurance as it was a celebration of music. Much thanks to Peter Gaston, Eric Nowels, Julia Norman, Lucy, Billy, MacKenzie, and the rest of the SPIN crowd for being great hosts and inspiring some great adventures. Photography by Colin Smith, Copyright CMS Digital.

Coverage on SPIN.com:

• The Flaming Lips
• Day Two
• Wrapping Up: Wilco and White Stripes

Natalie David and I met up at Atlanta’s Earl to see Annie Clark’s newest project, St. Vincent. Annie’s manager was kind enough to introduce us to Annie and we sat down with the former member of the Fragile Army and discussed the tour the night after her debut release.

“It’s remarkable that anyone’s hearing it at all,” a very happy Annie Clark told SPIN.com. “I’ve been writing since I was about five years old, and playing since I was about five years old. It was just something I wanted to do.”

Natalie B. David writes on SPIN’s It Happened Last Night column:

Just one day after Marry Me hit store shelves, the demure, orchestral pop starlet St. Vincent played a stunning set to an intimate crowd of A-town’s music connoisseurs. St. Vincent, the stage name for vocalist Annie Clark, made the red walls and corner stage of the Earl’s backroom the most beautiful place to be in Hotlanta last night (July 11), creating almost more music — and excitement for the new album — than the venue could hold.